U.S. Pat. No. 5,939,117 and U.S. Pat. No. 8,101,221, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, describe processes for preserving fresh produce, i.e., fresh fruits and/or vegetables, which have been cut or sectioned to expose the flesh of the fruit or vegetable underneath its outer skin. In these processes, the cut fresh produce is contacted with an aqueous preservative solution containing ascorbate and/or erythrobate anions and a metal cation such as calcium, after which the treated cut fresh produce is stored for later consumption. Although storage can occur in bulk, the treated cut fresh produce is normally packaged in some type of container for shipment to different locations.
This process does an excellent job in preserving the flavor, texture, aroma, crispness and color of the cut fresh produce and is widely used commercially throughout the world. It is the technology of choice, not only because it is highly effective in terms of its preserving ability but also because it is essentially benign in terms of flavor. That is to say, it adds no discernible flavor to the cut fresh produce being preserved, even though it is a highly effective preservative.
However, even though this technology is highly effective, a noticeable loss in flavor may still occur due to the loss of particular flavor notes if the cut fresh produce is stored for any appreciable length of time. In this regard, see ASTM's Manual on Descriptive Analytical Testing for Sensory Evaluation, edited by Robert C. Hootman, which describes the concept of “flavor notes” in food products. Depending on the particular fruit or vegetable being preserved, this noticeable diminution in flavor can occur shortly after the fresh produce is cut to expose its flesh.